Few filmmakers have been able to capture the human condition in as much vivid detail as Vittorio De Sica. Many may debate who the true master of Italian neo-realism is, based on parameters such as who made the first essential work, or the extent to which they strove to represent a particular period in the…
Reflections of a Blender (2010)
One of the most beautiful aspects of postmodernism is that once a work of art aligns itself with this revolutionary movement that has questioned reality for the better part of half a century, there’s very little that can be viewed as implausible. So many artists have found ways to stretch the boundaries of the collective…
The White Lotus: Sicily (2022)
From the first moment I spent with the characters in The White Lotus, I knew that it would be inevitable that I would make the rare exception to write about a television show. It often becomes quite unwieldy to discuss them, since so much depends on the cumulative nature of multiple seasons, and they often…
Notorious (1946)
Let us be perfectly honest here – we’ve discussed Alfred Hitchcock on nearly two dozen separate occasions, and in every one of those reviews, reference was made to the esteemed director’s impeccable and undeniable genius, even in the case of the rare misfire that comes about when dealing with someone so prolific. Few filmmakers could…
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
Few filmmakers have had their entire careers defined by the quality of possessing seemingly infinite imagination than Guillermo del Toro, who has made a name for himself as one of the true contemporary speculative auteurs, spending decades carefully developing a series of films that draw on his admiration for fantasy and science fiction, which fuel…
Husbands and Wives (1992)
Even though he has directed nearly 50 films over the course of half a century, and his career has undergone different stylistic ebbs and flows as he has pursued different genres and techniques, its easy to tell when watching a Woody Allen film, since his work is defined by several very clear qualities that make…
Pink Flamingos (1972)
How do you begin talking about Pink Flamingos in a way that captures not only the spirit of the film, but offers insights into the impact that it had on the industry? The answer is quite simply that you can’t – this is a film about which nearly everything has been written. Critiques of its…
Garden State (2004)
When it comes to the career of Zach Braff, one’s mileage may vary. For some, he’s the lovable comedic actor who is mostly very good at making us laugh. For others, he’s someone who often over-extends himself in his pursuit to be taken more seriously, which has resulted in quite a bit of work behind…
The Big Picture (1989)
There are a few inevitabilities in life – Mark Twain famously defined them as “death and taxes”. When it comes to Hollywood, you can add another – as long as the film industry thrives, there will be a concerted effort to keep telling stories about themselves. Those in showbusiness absolutely adore the sound of their…
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2022)
As much as we’d like to think cinema exists primarily to entertain or enlighten the viewer, some films are designed to deliberately make us uncomfortable. Whether this is to discuss some vitally important issue, or reflect some concepts that could not be conveyed through more gentle means, we all encounter examples of intentionally disturbing artworks…
The Postmodern Pelican 